Trying to avoid food but still gain weight, what's the 'wrong' part?

There is a clear genetic factor that triggers obesity - Photo: News-Medical

The study, published in the journal Med, involved researchers using data from the UK Biobank, a large biomedical database and research resource that follows people over long periods of time to learn about obesity.

Genetics contribute to obesity

"The causes of obesity are complex and in most cases are a combination of factors," lead author Dr Mattia Frontini, a member of the British Heart Foundation and associate professor of cell biology at the University of Exeter (UK), said in an email. "However, in this study, we found a clear genetic factor that triggers obesity."

Researchers compared data from people who had two faulty copies of a particular gene (SMIM1) and people who did not have two faulty copies. According to the study, women with the gene mutation weighed 10 pounds more, and men with the variant weighed 5 pounds more.

Faulty copies of the SMIM1 gene reduce thyroid function and reduce energy expenditure, "which means that for the same amount of food, less energy is used and this excess energy is stored as fat," says Frontini.

Not only is the correlation significant, but the study also identified a specific genetic mutation, which is not always the case in research, said Philipp Scherer, PhD, director of the Touchstone Diabetes Center at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Scherer was not involved in the study.

"This is an exciting study because it puts a new gene on the map," Scherer said. "It's a real gene, not just a gene with a mutation somewhere that we don't understand. We're looking at a gene that we can study further."

This genetic discovery is 'quite rare'

This particular genetic finding does not apply to a large population of obese people, Frontini said. Only about 1 in 5,000 people have this genetic makeup.

“It's pretty rare, but when you multiply that by a population of 10 (million), 15 million, there's going to be quite a few people out there who carry this mutation, and may not be fully aware of the fact that there's a genetic component that explains why they struggle with obesity,” Scherer said.

Thyroid dysfunction is common, affecting nearly 2% of the population in the UK, according to Frontini. And thyroid dysfunction is often treated with a relatively inexpensive medication.

The next step in the research is to find out whether people with SMIM1 mutations are eligible for thyroid medication, he added.

“If they qualify, we plan to conduct a randomized clinical trial to determine whether they benefit from the treatment,” Frontini said. “The hope is that they will benefit, and we can improve their quality of life using a safe, inexpensive treatment.”

The more you hold back, the more you crave.

Weight isn't just a matter of willpower or laziness. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, your body size and shape are determined by many factors.

Some factors you can control, and some you can't. These include your lifestyle, sleep schedule, medications, health problems, where you live and work, and genetics, according to the institute.

Brooke Alpert, a nutritionist and author of " The Diet Detox: Why Your Diet Is Making You Fat and What to Do About It ," says a severely restrictive diet isn't the answer.

Trying to avoid food too much can lead to cravings for more, followed by feelings of guilt for overindulging, leading to a vicious cycle of oscillating between self-restriction and bingeing.

If you want to make lifestyle changes, it's best to try a gradual, sustainable approach while still maintaining a healthy relationship with food, stresses Emily Feig, a postdoctoral fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tim-cach-xa-lanh-thuc-an-ma-van-beo-phi-sai-o-dau-20240622163507421.htm